Business, general

Libraries shift from books to computers

Article Abstract:

Some libraries are beginning to computerize their holdings. Columbia University's law library, for example, will scan and store in a supercomputer's memory the contents of more than 10,000 deteriorating books. The move will free up valuable shelf space, and will be far less costly than building a $20 million addition. Similar moves portend vast changes in the way libraries are run in the next century, with users able to access huge holdings from a desktop computer. The first efforts, such as Columbia University's, will involve putting books in electronic form. Key issues need to be resolved, including the assurance that publishers will get royalty fees and researchers' concerns that online searching could be expensive. Still, books will remain popular for a long time, in large part because they are easier to read than computer screens.

Police turn to databases to link crimes

Article Abstract:

Police are increasingly turning to computers to help fight crime. For example, the state of California has awarded DEC a five-year contract to computerize state narcotics investigations. The system will allow investigators to search data compiled by different agencies and coordinate investigations. Searching the Federal Bureau of Investigation's VICAP database of unsolved murders can help investigators solve cases; unfortunately, only 7,000 of the nation's 40,000 unsolved murders since VICAP was founded in 1985 have been recorded in the database. The FBI also plans to upgrade its computerized, 25-year-old National Crime Enforcement Center (NCIC). By 1995, the new NCIC 2000 system will have mug shots and fingerprints of half a million people. The biggest benefits of computerization are reduced paperwork and enhanced productivity.